Alexandre Dumas

The Fencing Master Alexandre Dumas

In one of the volumes devoted to his travels in Russia, Dumas related that the Czarina, wife of the Czar Nicholas, having procured a copy of "The Fencing Master," asked her friend the Princess Trubetski to read it to her. While thus engaged the door opened and the Czar appeared. The princess, who held the book, hastily hid it under the sofa cushions. The Czar approached, and standing before his confused Consort.

"You were reading, Madam?" he said.

"Yes, Sire."

"Do you wish me to tell you what you were reading?"

The Czarina was silent.

"You were reading the romance of M. Dumas, 'The Fencing Master.'

"How do you know that, Sire?"

"It is not difficult to guess, since it is the last book I have prohibited."

In spite of, or rather by reason of this prohibition, "The Fencing Master" became very popular in Russia, so popular indeed that when in 1858, some eighteen years after its publication, Dumas visited the famous fair at Nijini Novgorod, handkerchiefs printed in colors with scenes from the book were offered for sale to its surprised author.